The original Chinatown is located in the congested Tiretti Bazaar at the city's fringe.

It is one of the few remaining places in India where one can buy authentic Chinese snacks and delicacies like steamed pork buns, dim sum, and fish balls.

Kolkata's Chinese community has been a key part of the city's cultural and social fabric for more than 200 years.

Many came as immigrants to India in the late 18th century driven by famine in central China.

A majority of them belong to the Hakka community and found work in the port, set up leather tanneries and opened restaurants.

The exodus began in 1962 when hostilities broke out between India and China, leading to a brief war.

Things got worse for the community in the late 1990s when the Supreme Court moved the leather tanneries out of the city, leaving many unemployed and several tanneries forced to shut down.

Aileen Lung, a fourth generation Chinese resident, says the Chinese population has declined since then.

"A lot of them have lost interest, lost a lot of money… so they have migrated abroad to Canada and Australia," she said.

Distrust amongst the local Chinese

Distrust persists amongst the local Chinese despite living in India for many years.

Many Chinese Indians remain wary of any official contact and seek little or no favours from the government to set up their enterprises.

Paul Chung, president of the Indian Chinese Association, sums it up well.

"We don't hear of Chinese having demonstrations," he said.

"Usually if something happens, we go to political parties.

"When we think our rights are violated, we will stand up for it. We will use the same method as the democratic process does."

Lang Lee, a youth, believes the Indian government should do much more to reach out to the Chinese community to stop a further exodus.

"The government does not give us anything. The government does not give us a right to free space," he said.

"They (Chinese) are all moving to greener pastures."

"Cha Project" for old Chinatown

Despite the disconnect, gloom could soon lead to hope and cheer for this community.

Local authorities are backing a plan to restore the area and promote tourism there, with talks of a revival of Chinatown prevalent.

Earlier this year, following representations by some eminent citizens and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, a proposal was sent to restore and renovate Chinatown and promote tourism there.

Called the "Cha Project" or tea project, the endeavour is expected to help preserve old Chinatown in Tiretti Bazaar and will also focus on developing the new Chinatown in Tangra.